When I shared my red flags and green lights for evaluating client inquiries a couple weeks ago, I was absolutely stunned by the response. Designers and business owners from all over came out of the woodwork to share that they knew they'd been working with the wrong clients for too long. They told me my words were exactly what they needed to hear.

So if deep down all these entrepreneurs know their clients aren't a good fit, why are they taking them on?

If you're anything like me, you can't stand conflict. Tension makes your skin crawl and you'd rather swallow your pride in an effort to keep everyone happy. Being an introvert and a people pleaser, I'm personally inclined to keep quiet while others get loud. However when it comes to running a business, that just doesn't work.

I've heard far too many horror stories of creatives being manipulated and trampled by their own good intentions. Whether they slipped into perpetual “yes” mode, got dragged into an endless cycle of revisions, or never got paid for their hard work, these stories used to terrify me as I toyed with the idea of working for myself.

How could an introvert and people pleaser like me put on a fierce face and be the boss I needed to be? As I've come to learn, the key is to create systems that set you up for success. These 7 strategies have helped bring me out of my introverted people-pleasing shell. My hope is that they'll do the same for you too.